Branding machine



Feb. 6, 1940. E. LlTcHFu-:LD

BRANDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HTTY egg

BRANDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jflLarckhea Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE y I j 2,189,637v g yBRANDING MACHINE Elmer Litchfiela'oakvme, ontario, canada, as- Signor to The `Oakville Basket Company Limited, Oakville, Ontario, Canada v Application February 21, 1938, Serial No. 191,700

6 Claims.

circumference of the stick thus enabling the appli'cationfof a larger brand or marking to the stick.

` in width and provided with means for agtating thesticks in the delivery end of the hopper; by providing a, stickcarrying wheel for carrying the sticks from the hopper past the branding mechanism, by providing means forv causing a rotation ofrsaid sticks on said wheel while the sticks are being subjected to the branding operation and by providing means for stripping the sticks from the carrier lwheel after branding has been completed.

'Ihe apparatus is hereinafter more specically described and illustrated vin .the accompanying specifications and drawings in which Fig. 1v is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the machine; y

Fig. 2a plan view of the same; y

Fig. 3 a front view of the branding means with the stick carrying drum, the latter being broken away; u Fig. 4 a plan view illustrating .the method of mounting the branding means in its support; and

Fig. 5 a vertical section of the same.

l In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different gures.

I indicates a frame suitably shaped for supporting the -various parts. At one end ofthe frame is mounted a hopper, having an inclined bottom leading to an inclined stick guide 3. The hopy per is formed with two side membersl 2 having inwardly and outwardly directed flanges 42, at their lowery edge, the inturn'ed iianges supporting the ends of the sticks. These side members are slidablymountedpn cross bars 4.3, on the frame I, to permit of adjusting their spacing to suit sticks of different lengths. Set screws 44, are

provided to lock the side membersas adjusted.

Thev central part of the delivery endof the hopper 2, is open above the guide 3, and in this opening operates the agitator 4, pivoted on the frame. This agitator has an outwardly bent3 portion 5, which overlles sticks as they pass to the guide -3, and also has bent upwardly therefrom a dog 5, which is vpositioned to be engaged by a ratchet 'Lon a shaft 8, journalled in the frame and driven by chain and gears I Il, from the main drive shaft I I, ofthe machine. It will be seen that as the ratchet is revolved the lower end of the agitator is moved back and forth to agitate the sticks on the lower part of the hopper and ensure the regular feedingr thereof to the stick guide 3. y

'Ihe sticks are fed from the stick guide tothe rotary stick carrier I2, the face of which is pro vided with transverse grooves I3, of a depthand widthto receive a single stick. This rotary stick carrier is driven by means of chain and gears I4, from` the main drive shaft II.

This rotary stick carrier carries the sticks one by one beneath the branding means, which will be ,hereinafter described. f

After leaving the branding means, the 'sticks are carried by the rotary stick carrier lto the stripper'fin'gers I5, which extend into circumferential grooves IS, in the rotary stick carrier, and causethe branded sticks to pass into the receiving tray II, supported on the frame I.

On a support I8, yfulcrurned on the frame I, is carried the brander I9, which is preferably. of the electric-heated typaZIl being the leadwires for the heating element. In Fig.v1 the brander I9, and its support I8, are shown in operative position in full lines vand ininoperative position in dotted lines.

Extending upwardly from the lower part cf the (c1. 10i-s) ,a

frame I, is a support 2|, on which is pivoted an 6:0

arm 22, for holding the brander support I8, vin raised position. This arm 22, has a pin 23 projecting from its side and adapted, when the arm 22, is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to hold the brander support. I8, in partly raised position. This arm 22, is provided with a notch 24, adjacent rits upper `end to receive a pin 25, on the brander frame I8, to hold the latter in fully raised position. The frame I8, is provided with a handle 26, to facilitate its being lifted to ment within the housing. This housing. Ica, is

adjustably mounted relative to the frame I8, to permit or' its being rocked longitudinally or transversely of said frame to position the branding element in the best position to accomplish the branding operation.

To permit this movement, the end of the frame I8, is formed as a separate section I8a, which is pivotally connected with the main section, and adjusting screws 3, threaded through the end section I8a, engage the ends of the side bars of the main section to adjust the vertical position of the section I8a, relative to the main section.

Pivoted on the end of the separate section |811, so as to rock in a plane transversely of the apparatus is a support 2'1, which is provided with an opening into which extends an upwardly extending stem on the brander I9, a set screw 45, being threaded through the support to engage the stem. Integral with the support 2l, is the lug 29, extending over the end of the brander support section IBa, and having adjusting screws 28, threaded therethrough engaging said section. By adjusting the screws 28, the brander may be rocked in the transverse direction, while by adjusting the screws 3l), the brander may be rocked in the longitudinal direction. By this means, the branding element may be finely adjusted to ensure proper engagement with the sticks on the carrier.

To hold the branding element out of contact with the carrier I2, in the event that no sticks are being carried thereby, the frame I8, is provided with a cross bar 46, through which is threaded an adjusting screw 4l, which is arranged to engage the support 2|. The lscrew L'II, will be adjusted so as to hold the branding element out of contact with the carrier I2, while permitting it to engage the sticks carried thereby.

As the stick engaging surface of' the branding element is substantially fiat and as the sticks are round, it is necessary to provide means for causing a rotary movement of the sticks as they pass below the branding element.

On the support 2l, is mounted the stick rotating means, which, for adjustment purposes, is provided with a fixed back 3i, and a face bar 32. One end of this face bar is pivoted on an eye bolt 33. Nuts 34, on this bolt provide means for adjusting the distance between the back and the face bar. The other end of the face bar has an eye bolt 35, pivotally connected thereto, and the bolt is slidable through a hole in the back 3l. A spring 36, mounted on this bolt 35, tends to rock the face bar away from the back, but a nut 3'I, threaded on the bolt above the back limits this rocking movement. On the face bar are secured one or more stick engaging members having their surfaces suitably roughened to cause the sticks engaged thereby to rotate on their axis as they are carried past on the carrier wheel. By adjusting the nut 3I, the pressure of the stick engaging members on the sticks may be varied to ensure proper operation.

During the branding operation, a certain amount of moisture is exuded by the sticks, which tends to fill up the grooves I3, and prevent proper seating of the sticks in said grooves. The ribs between the grooves I3, are therefore cut away below the branding element to form a shallow circumferential groove 38, on the bottom of which the sticks are supported. To keep this circumferential groove clean, I provide the scraper 39, as shown in Fig. 1 and a pad 69, carried on a bracket 4I.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows.

A supply of sticks is placed in the hopper 2, which supply is agitated by means of the agitator 4, to ensure the proper feed of sticks to the guide 5, thence to the carrier I2. The sticks are carried by the carrier below the brander I9. Simultaneously, as the sticks pass below the brander, they are caused to rotate to bring suicient of their circumference into contact with the branding element. Further movement of the carrier I2, moves the sticks into position for engagement by the stripper fingers I5, which guide the sticks into the receiving tray I'I. If the branding element becomes dirty, its supporting frame I8, may be swung up and supported by the arm 22, by engaging the pin 25, in the notch 24, thus exposing the branding element for cleaning purposes.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an article carrying wheel journalled in said frame; said wheel having grooves formed transversely across its periphery to receive the articles; branding means adapted to engage articles carried by said wheel, said wheel having a circumferential groove below said branding means; and scraper means for cleaning said circumferential groove as the wheel rotates.

2. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an article carrying wheel journalled in said frame; said wheel having grooves formed transversely across its periphery to receive the articles; a support pivoted at one end on said frame; and branding means carried adjacent the other end of said support and adapted to engage articles carried by said wheel; a lever arm pivoted on said frame and adapted to engage said support to lift the branding means from operating position.

3. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an article carrying wheel journalled in said frame; said wheel having grooves formed transversely across its periphery to receive the articles; a support pivoted at one end on said frame; and branding means carried adjacent the other end of said support and adapted to engage articles carried by said wheel; a lever arm pivoted on said frame and adapted to engage said support to lift the branding means from operating position into an intermediate position; and interengaging means on said arm and support adapted to hold the support in an upper position.

4. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an article-carrying wheel journalled in said frame; said wheel having grooves formed transversely across its periphery to receive the articles; branding means adapted to engage articles carried by said wheel; a support carried by said frame; a member movable relative to said support and resilient means for holding said member against the articles in the grooves as said articles pass the branding means; the face of said member being adapted to rotate the articles in said grooves.

5. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an

article-carrying wheel journalled in said frame, said wheel having grooves formed transversely across its periphery to receive the articles; branding means adapted to engage articles carried by said wheel; a support carried by said frame; a member pivotally engaged at one end v with said support; resilient means tendingA to move the other end of said member against the articles in the grooves, the face of said member being adapted to' rotate the articles in said grooves as they pass the branding means.

6. In apparatus for branding sticks and the like, the combination of a supporting frame; an article carrying Wheel journalied in said frame;

Asaid Wheel having grooves formed transversely acrossits periphery to receive the articles; a

support pivoted `on said frame; and branding means carried by'said support and adapted to engage articles carried by said. Wheel; a support carried by said frame; a member movable relative to said support and resilient means for boldv ing vsaid 'member against the articles in the groovesv as said. articles pass the branding means; the face of said member being adapted 'tate the articles in said grooves.

ELMER MTCHFIELD.

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